Ammunition



April 10, 1945. w. L. FINLAY Y AMMUNITION Filed Aug. 26, 1941 INVENTOR Patented pr. 10, 1945- AMMUNITION Walter L. Finlay, Bridgeport, Conn., assignor to Remington Arms Company, Inc., a corporation of Delaware Application August 26, 1941, Serial No. 408,290

6 Claims.

This invention relates to ammunition, particularly to shot shells, having bodies of paper or comparable deformable material, and contemplates certain improvements in the closing of the ends of the bodies of such shells above a shot charge.

In the patent to Finlay and Staufier, No. 2,242,907, May 20, 1941, there is described a shot shell body closed by turning the end portion of the body inwardly and downwardly while forming grooves or troughs therein and finally pressing the material thus displaced into an exteriorly fiat closure comprising segments of the body material which are joined by inwardly and downwardly extending folds of the same material. The present invention contemplates an improvement in this type of closure.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is an enlarged side elevation, partly in section, of a shot shell loaded and ready for closing in accordance with the methods of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a perspective of the same shot shell after the initial closing operation.

Fig. 3 is a perspective of the shot shell after the final operation of forming the end closure.

Fig. 4 is a perspective of the shot shell of Fig. 3 complete with a sealing and indicia-carrying disc affixed over the end closure.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional side elevation of the end portion of a shot shell substantially on the line 55 of Fig. 3. This figure shows the shot shell complete as in Fig. 4 but the broken section line has been placed on Fig. 3 to'show the configuration of the closure on a line within the area of one of the segments as well as on a line through a trough joining the segments.

Fig. 6 is in an inverted plan view of a die used in forming the closure of this invention.

Fig. -7 is asectional side elevation of the die shown in Fig. 6, the section being substantially n the line l-l of Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is an enlarged fragmentary elevation showing the action of the die upon the body and closure of the shot shell at an intermediate stage in the closure-forming operation. The particular point in the die in which the shot shell material momentarily has the configuration shown in this figure corresponds generally to the line 8-8 on Fig. 6.

Fig. 9 is a view of the same character as Fig. 8, illustrating the manner in which the configuration of the shot shell material is altered as it is traversed by the portion of the die betion in Fig. 5.

tween line 8-8 of Fig. 6 and line 9-9 of Fig. 6.

Fig. 10 is a further and schematic enlargement of the upper left-hand portion of Fig. 5.

Fig. 11 is a further and schematic enlargement of the upper right-hand portion of Fig. 5.

The conventional shot shell comprises a tubular body 9 ordinarily formed by rolling a sheet of paper or similar stock so that the tube comprises the several layers clearly illustrated in Figs. 10 and 11. About the lower end of the tubular body 9 is placed a metallic head ID, the portion of the body within or adjacent the head l0 containing a base wad II apertured to receive a battery cup 12 containing a primer cup l3 and an anvil l4. Upon, and usually partly within a recess in the base Wad II is placed the powder charge l6. Above the powder charge l6 are one or more over-powder wads l1 and one or more filler wads l8 serving to separate the charge of shot I9 from the powder. The free end of the body 9 above the shot charge is adapted to form the closure which retains the shot charge in place. As more fully described in said patent to Finlay and Staufier, the first operation in the closing of the body comprises engaging the end portion thereof with a tool adapted to displace certain lines 20 of the body material inwardly and downwardly, leaving segmental or substantially triangular portions 2| of such material between the folds. creases or troughs 20. Such preliminary closing operation leaves-the shell in the partially closed condition illustrated in Fig. 2. A second suitable tool ordie is then applied, pressing the closure material into the exteriorly planar form shown in perspective in Fig. 3 and in sec- The closely abutting segments 23 are joined by the downwardly extending webs 24 defining the folds or troughs 20, and a small aperture 25 remains at the center. To close this aperture and to provide a surface for carrying a suitable load-identifying designation, a seal 26 (Fig. 4) is fixed over the closure; such seal may consist solely of a suitable adhesive, or as shown in Fig. 5 may comprise a disc of paper. aluminum foil or similar material 26 secured by an adhesive 21.

It has been found-in practice that shot shells closed in the manner above described do not always withstand the rough treatment to which they are frequently subjected in use. The charge of lead shot weighs one to one and a half ounces and shot shells may be carried in the pockets of hunting coats in inclement weather where, in addition to being wet. they are subjected to movement of considerable violence. The constant impact of the heavy shot charge against the end closure tends to weaken and open the closure, permitting the entrance of moisture and, in extreme cases, the escape of a part or all of thie shot charge.

The present invention comprises the discovery of a refinement in the closing method as set forth in the Finlay and Stauffer patent and as before outlined which overcomes this difliculty. This improvement may be described a follows:

The die by which the closure material is displaced from the Fig. 2 position to the Fig. 3 position is constructed as illustrated in Figs. 6 and '7. Said die comprises a body portion 28, suitable means such as a threaded reces 29 for securing to appropriate driving means, and a recess 30 adapted to receive the end portion of the shot shell-body. Said recess 30 is bounded by the peripheral wall 3| and the planar end wall 32. Around the margin of the planar surface 32 and adjacent the peripheral wall 3| are forming grooves 33. There may be a suitable number of such forming grooves-the drawing illustrates three, this number having been found appropriate for practical use. Each forming groove 33 has at one end a depth of the order onmagnitude illustrated in Fig. 7 and the depth diminishes in the direction opposite the direction of rotation of the die, the bottom of the groove finally merging with the planar surface. 32. The righthand portion of Fig. '7 shows approximately the full depth of a forming groove while at the left-- hand portion the bottom of the trough has completely merged with the planar surface 32.

When such a die is brought down upon a shell in the condition shown in Fig. 2 the first action is to displace the conical closure into a plane. As the die firmly engages the end of the body the material thereof moves into the forming groove 33, forming therein a fold or ridge 34, as illustrated in Fig. 8. As the die rotates the ridge 34 is rolled inwardly and downwardly due to the decreasing depth of the forming groove 33, finally assuming the configuration shown in Fig. 9 in which the Junction of body and end closure is a hard rolled, smooth and continuous surfaced ring 36, which is preferably exteriqrly substantially fiush with the plane of the end closure proper. Adjacent and inside the ring 33 is an annular groove '35, which begins to form as the material of ridge 34 is rolled inwardly and downwardly from its Fig. 8 position. The segments 23 and their bounding trough 20 terminate at groove 35. It will be obvious that by the inward and downward rolling of the material, due to the configuration of the forming grooves 33, the material of the entire end closure is urged inwardly so that the size of the central aperture 25 is somewhat decreased and the segments 23 are pressed into firm and secure lateral engagement with each other. The excess material forms the interior bulge 31 beneath the groove 35, this configuration substantially locking the entire closure against outward displacement. ments, showing significant details of a closure thus formed from a tubular body consisting of several plies of a deformable material, are shown in Figs. 10 and 11; Fig. 10 being a section on a line where adjacent segments join each other, and Fig. 11 being a section through one segment. It will be obvious from a consideration of these illustrations how the presence of the bulge 31 and counterpart groove 35 increase the rigidity of the closure and its resistance to yielding under repeated impact of the heavy shot charge as the Enlarge the plane of said end closure, thereby forming an shot shell is moved about in rough carrying and handling. The method above described likewise improves the capacity of the shot shell for receivin the sealing and moisture proofing disc 26. The troughs 20 between the segments 23 definitely terminate at the ring groove 35 (see Fig. 8) which groove is surrounded as above noted by a smooth and unbroken ring or annulus 33. By making the disc 26 of such size that it covers the ring groove 35 and adheres to the smooth and continuous surface of the annulus 33 an improved seal is secured.

It is to be understood that the embodiment of the invention which has been shown and described is illustrative only and that the invention is susceptible to embodiment in other forms all falling within the scope or the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In the closing of a shot shell body by the inward and downward displacement of a part of the body material into an exteriorly planar closure,

the method which comprises forming a portion of said body material into an annular ridge in substantial alignment with said body and extending beyond the plane of said end closure, and subsequently displacing the material forming said ridge inwardly and downwardly to bring all of its exterior surface into sulbstantial alignment with the plane of said end closure.

2. In the closing of a shot shell body by the inward and downward displacement of a part of the body material into an exteriorly planar end closure comprising segments joined by integral folds. the method which comprises forming a portion of said body material into an annular ridge substantially in alignment'with said body and extending beyond the plane of said end closure, and subsequently ironing the material constituting said ridge inwardly and downwardly to bring all of its exterior surface into substantial align-i ment with the plane of said end closure, thereby securing said end closure against displacement.

3. In the closing of a shot shell body by the inward and downward displacement of a part of the body material into an exteriorly planar end closurecomprising segments joined by integral folds, the method which comprises forming a portion of said body material into an annular ridge substantially in alignment with said body and extending beyondthe plane of said end closure, and subsequently ironing the material of said ridge inwardly and downwardly to bring all of its exterior surface into substantial alignment with annular groove adjacent the ends of the troughs defining said segments.

4. In the closing of a shot shell body by the in.- ward and downward displacement of material of said body into an exteriorly planar end closure comprising a plurality of segments joined by integral folds, the method which comprises temporarily endwise displacing a portion of said body material beyond the plane of said closure, subsequently ironing the material thus displaced inwardly and downwardly into exterior aligrmient with said end closure, thereby forming adjacent the ends of; said folds an annular groove surrou ded by a ring having a smooth and unbroken su face, and subsequently applying to said end closure asealing disc of such size as to cover said annular groove and adhere to the smooth and unbroken surface of said ring. I

5. A die for the closing of a shot shell body comprising means for peripheral engagement with said body, means for endwise planar surface engagement with said body, said endwise engagement means having a recess which diminishes from a maximum depth to said endwise planar engaging surface for enabling the temporary displacement of a portion of said body material to a position beyond said planar surface and for subsequently displacing such material inwardly and downwardly into substantial exterior alignment with said planar surface.

6. A die for the closing of a shot shell body comprising a cylindrical recess adapted for l peripheral engagement with said body, a planar closure forming surface and a series of recesses about the periphery of said planar surface, each ofsaid recesses having a maximum depthadjacent one end diminishing in depth from said end and finally merging with said planar surface at the opposite end for enabling temporary displacementto a position beyond said planar surface and for subsequently ironing the displaced material into substantial alignment with said planar surface.

\ I WALTERL. FINLAY. 

